Okay--as per the last few blogs, we a.) know what ships are, and b.) know that they work.
Awesome! So how do YOU make magic happen?
Consistency.
Yeah, I'm not one for mysterious blog titles. I know we've ALL done the ginormous mass mailing to everyone who worked in our market EVER--hundred(s) of 8x10 headshots and resumes, hundreds of cover letters trying not to sound lame. Ugh, those are dark days, my friends. And you expend ALL that energy to reach out to ALL those people, and...nothing. You sure as heck aren't going to do a mass mailing like THAT again, especially if you hear nothing back!
So I defer to the zen mantra of career guru Dallas Travers: Do less, more often.
Why choose ALL the casting directors? Start with, like, 15. MAYBE 15. Your list will grow on its own--but for now? Start small, and keep your mailings manageable! That way it will be easy to hit the Rule of Seven.
("Oh, hey Jen, what's that?")
SOVERYGLADYOUASKED! The Rule of Seven is a huge marketing tool which, in a nutshell, says that any 'consumer' of your product needs to see/be exposed to you between seven and twelve times to remember you and 'absorb your message.'
That means *7-12* touches per 'consumer,' and THIS is why a number of ship styles is important, useful and interesting. One month you can send a headshot; the next month, a one-sheet; the following month, meet them at a workshop! (Yup, workshops sure are ships.)
You can make the most magical ships in the world with the best credits and swankiest headshots, but without consistency, you'll be dead in the water (ba DUM bum!).
For a SUPERBLY inspiring and in-depth look at Consistency, The Rule of Seven, & Doing Less More Often, here's a great PDF by Dallas Travers!
Ahoy, Mateys!
Jen